The present invention relates generally to a jig for mounting a plurality of electrical connectors to be used for connecting a pair of printed circuit boards.
Conventionally, electrical connections between a first printed circuit board (motherboard) and another printed circuit board (daughterboard) may be established through the use of electrical connectors. In the past, one receptacle or female connector has been mounted on one printed circuit board, and an electrical plug or male connector is mounted on the other printed circuit board. By mating and connecting the female connector receptacle and the plug male connector with each other, electrical communication between the respective printed circuit boards is established. However, in the recent years, the number of required terminals or circuits is increasing due to the desire for down-sizing, reduction of weight of the electronic equipment and for higher performance. Accordingly, it now has become necessary on frequent occasions to mount a plurality of electrical connectors on each of the printed circuit boards.
When a plurality of electrical connectors are to be mounted on the surface of one of the printed circuit boards, it is important to be able to precisely position the respective connectors which are to be mounted to the same circuit board relative to each other. If they are not precisely positioned, the subsequent engagement between the electrical female connector receptacles and the electrical plug male connectors becomes difficult. Moreover, the solder tails of the respective connectors and the circuits on the circuit boards to which they are to be soldered might be misaligned to the extent that could result in the failure to complete circuits which should have been completed.
Various methods have been employed in the past to avoid such problems. One such prior method for positioning of the connectors is by setting a guide block which is designed to accommodate the connectors therein on the printed circuit board as is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Heisei 5-47443. Another method connects two connectors by means of a bridge for fixing the relative portions of the connectors as is disclosed in 0.5 mm Pitch Multi-Pole Board-to-Board Connector, Electronics Mounting Technology, Vol. 10, No. 10, pp. 72-73.
Another known method is to restrict the relative positions of a plurality of connectors by employing a jig having cavities to externally engage with the connectors is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-135835.
Among the prior art set forth above, the methods employing the guide block or the bridge have a problem of consuming spacial volume on the circuit board that might otherwise have a functional use because the guide block or the bridge is mounted on the printed circuit board together with the connectors. On the other hand, in the case of the aforementioned method employing the jig, because a part of the jig is located outside of the connector, a space to accommodate the extending part of the jig must be provided during the mounting of the connector on the printed circuit board. Therefore, similar to the former case, this method still causes the waste and loss of what otherwise could be functional volume or space on the circuit board.